Bhubaneshwar: A second campus along NH-6 in Sambalpur is in the offing for the VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Vimsar).A land is to be identified and zeroed in on by the subcommittee led by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Sambalpur). A decision to this effect was taken at a VIMSAR governing body meeting,chaired by Chief Secretary, A.P. Padhi.

“Another subcommittee, also chaired by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), will examine the pay-scale of the faculty members of the institute to explore the possibility of increasing it by drawing comparisons with other similar institutes in the country. The institute has been demanding higher pay package on the lines of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow,” a GB member said.

According to Mr. Padhi various sub committees were looking into issues of expansion, increase in MBBS intake and the up gradation of the institution into a super specialty hospital. As reported earlier, Rs. 150 crores have been sanctioned by the centre for the up gradation of the institution under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana. The new campus, with a projected construction space of 18,000 sq ft, would come up with the PMSSY money. The existing campus at Burla is spread over 120 acre. However, around 50 acre of land remains encroached.

The VSS Medical College was upgraded in 2014 and renamed VIMSAR.The Institute’s MBBS intake is likely to increase from 150 to 250 from next year, subject to MCI approval.